Rita C. Boucher

Rita C. Boucher, who celebrated her 100th birthday in March, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 8, 2023.  A World War II veteran, she met her beloved husband, the late Robert X. Boucher, while stationed in Washington, DC.  Married at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, the newlyweds returned to Washington where Rita completed her service in the United States Navy.  She was a devoted mother to eight children and is survived by Kathleen (Dennis) Szymanski of Glen Allen, VA, Geralyn (John) Bremerman of Gambrills, MD, Therese (Joseph Floresca) Boucher of Bethesda, MD, Celeste (Richard) Nickell of Gaithersburg, MD, Maureen (Ronald) Houseal of Glen Rock, PA, and R. Dennis (Wanda) Boucher of Columbia, MD.  She was preceded in death by a daughter, Rose Ghawaly-Booe of Geneva, IL in 2022, and a son, James Boucher of Lanham, MD in 2002.  Rita was a loving grandmother and great-grandmother and is survived by 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.  Two grandchildren predeceased her:  Jessica Szymanski of Falls Church, VA and Rita Goolsby of Gambrills, MD.  She is survived by a sister and many other extended family members.  The amount of love she shared and the support she provided to her family was boundless.  How fitting it was that she was called home to our Lord on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Rita was born on March 11, 1923 to the late James M. Savage and Rose F. Savage.  The middle of three children, she is survived by a sister, Lorraine Kearns of Palatine, IL and was predeceased by a brother, James E. Savage.  Rita graduated from Kelvyn Park High School where she enjoyed leadership and extracurricular activities, especially basketball and volleyball.  Her enthusiasm for sports would be realized for many years to come as she enjoyed the role of consummate fan during the nearly endless array of sporting, school, and community events for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After high school, Rita attended Northwestern Business School.  She worked at Illinois Bell Telephone Company, TF Washburn Company and Montgomery Ward before joining the United States Naval Reserve.  After training in New York, she was stationed in Washington, D.C. as a Telegrapher.  The Navy knew what it was doing by placing the trust of official communications to this bright and wonderfully ingenious woman.

Upon completion of her military service, Rita would go on to assume the most important role of her life. Her family is grateful that she accepted so graciously the vocation of motherhood.  Rita was devoted, indeed, and was an exceptionally gifted nurturer and example of Christian faith.  In union with her beloved husband, they instilled a steadfast love and worship of the Blessed Trinity and honor to the Blessed Virgin Mary in their children, and naturally led by example.  An active member of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Riverdale, MD) for many years, as a Sodalist Rita embraced Christian virtues, was a courageous and understanding leader in the family, and promoted a pathway to Jesus through Mary built on Faith, Hope, and Charity – for the Greater Glory of God.  Additionally, she worshiped at St. Mary (Landover Hills, MD) and other Catholic Churches in the Washington Metropolitan Area.  In the last year of her earthly life, she enjoyed blessings and fellowship from the clergy and faithful of St. John the Baptist (New Freedom, PA).

During her youth, Rita enjoyed collecting match boxes; poetry; photography; and, reading.   She was a voracious reader until Age Related Macular Degeneration robbed her of her sight. The fighter that she was, however, didn’t give up easily as she experimented with devices designed to enhance low vision readers and eventually accepted books on tape.  Though frustrated, this fiercely independent woman accepted those challenges with grace...and ice cream.  Nothing was too big for ice cream; it could solve problems in almost any flavor or form.  It was the function that customarily succeeded and perhaps the reason she worked out so much at the Greenbelt Aquatic and Fitness Center for so many years swimming and doing other aquatic exercises.  The pool noodles were always at the ready and well employed.  Many of us easily acknowledged that she worked out more than we did, and to top it off, had a better memory to boot.  Upper hand?  Yes, it was typically hers without question.

Rita faced many challenges with grace. Widowed longer than she was married, the loss of children, and the loss of hearing and sight were not insignificant obstacles in life, yet she maintained her sovereignty well into her 90s.  She was blessed with a long and fulfilling life that exemplified strength, courage, commitment, devotion, love, faith and hope, each of which were unmatched and served as an example for all to follow.  Rita was the most loving, kind, faith filled wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, confidant, and friend.  As “communication central” for the family, her words of love, encouragement, support, and faith will live on in each of us as a hope rewarded.  Indeed, God blessed us beyond measure.

A golden heart stopped beating

Hard working hands to rest

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

A mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Mary Catholic Church, Landover Hills, MD, on Monday, September 18, 2023 at 12:00 noon.  Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m.

Interment follows the mass at Gate of Heaven, Silver Spring, MD at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following charities.

American Macular Degeneration Foundation

PO Box 515

Northampton, MA  01061-0515

www.macular.org

Epilepsy Foundation

3540 Crain Highway #675

Bowie, MD  20716

give.epilepsy.com

Jessica Blair Memorial Scholarship

c/o Falls Church Education Foundation

Checks can be made payable to

The Falls Church Education Foundation

150 S. Washington Street, Suite 400, Falls Church, VA  22046

On the memo portion of the check, write: Jessica Blair Szymanski Memorial Scholarship

http://www.fcedf.org

Hartenstein Funeral & Cremation Care, Inc. of New Freedom is assisting the family with the arrangements. HartensteinCares.com